1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to armrests for chairs, and more specifically to adjustable armrests for chairs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Office chairs are a common fixture in today's office environment, providing ergonomically positioned support surfaces which allow their users to remain seated for extended periods of time. It is desirable that office chairs include adjustable features, such as adjustable seating height and adjustable lumbar support, which may be positioned to suit an individual user. However, today's office chairs have armrests which lack the desired level of adjustability. Armrests found in the prior art offer limited forms of adjustment, often through complex mechanisms requiring separate releases for each individual motion.
The invention described herein solves these disadvantages, providing an adjustable armrest assembly which is positionable in three or more degrees of freedom, yet also features a retention mechanism for stability. The invention comprises a fore-aft restraint system and an anti-rotation feature, preferably controlled by a single actuator button. The armrest may be freely repositioned when the actuator button is depressed, yet locks into position when the button is released. The inventive design also reduces the number of assembly components to a minimum, thus reducing the manufacturing costs, the assembly complexity, and the number of potential component failure modes.